Writing Challenge

Beyond Fairytales is a writing project/challenge being issued by Decadent Publishing and I, in a sleep deprived, wisdom free, state, decided it would be a good thing to have a go at.  I'm not sure why... apart from I'm doodling two stories at the moment and am ignoring my finished one until I've stopped loving it quite so much and can feel more objective about it... so what's one more thing to think about?

After I finally emailed the correct address to get assigned with a fairytale to work with (we're back at that sleep deprived thing again) I've started wondering if I've bitten off more than I can chew.  I've drawn a pretty small story to work with - I mean, who knew that Hans Christian Andersen published every single thing he wrote, including snippets that may have only been germs of ideas?  Stuff it looks like he never actually got round to fleshing out.  He might have been like me - my first drafts are seriously sketchy.

So I've been thinking all day, and considering the rules and trying to imagine ever reaching a word count beyond 5000 words.  I think the minimum I can submit and still have it count is 15,000.  But I have 6 months to write and edit and polish before I have to submit it to see if it meets the publisher's standards or if they will reject it.  Because, after all that work, and targeting the line and everything... it can still be rejected.  How nerve-wracking is that?

But it's good.  It's good to have a purpose with a potential market at the end and to have a piece of work that will be critically appraised for publication.  I just have to write a "straightforward" romance, which will be the difficult bit, because my brain doesn't usually do straightforward.  I end up with people who probably shouldn't be there and situations that shouldn't exist and impossible outcomes... and everything just needs a hefty dose of suspension of disbelief.

My deadline is 15th January.  I should also thank my two critique partners at this point, because this situation is entirely their fault.   Maybe I'll thank them at the end, instead. :-D